O'Hanlon— Site of Battle of "Pass of Plumes:' 285 



Logs, where they have the advantage of lighter equipment, and where 

 cavalry are utterly unserviceable, although these latter may " com- 

 mand all champaigns." The brave Essex found his "new and com- 

 mon sort of men" had " neither bodies, spirits, nor practice of arms" 

 to match the Irish enemy ; while ho commends the superiority of 

 English discipline, and the extraordinary courage and spirit of the men 

 of quality in his army. The lords and principal officers showed great 

 forwardness and contempt of danger. These would have exposed 

 themselves, and would have gone too far in attacking the Irish, had 

 not their commander-in-chief "assigned them not only their places, 

 but their very limits of going on," or, to use another phrase of Essex, 

 he "tethered them in their allotted stations."* 



To me it seems probable, that when the attack commenced, the 

 English army must have been thrown into great confusion, and that 

 especially towards the east of the hill-road, desultory skirmishing was 

 maintained at various points along their left flank. When, how- 

 ever, their superior numbers enabled the invading force to drive away 

 the Irish in this quarter, it is likely their scattered bands rallied 

 towards the high ridge, extending from a village near Ballyheyland 

 townland and towards the graveyard of Kilvahan. High and intricate 

 old hedgerows now crown the crest of this ridge. At the village,, 

 which was on the frontier northern line of the present Pass townland, 

 trenches across the roadway and plashed woods', had in all probability 

 been held by the O'Hoores ; and as those obstructions must have been 

 removed before Essex could advance his army, " the forlorne hope" 

 had a difficult and dangerous action to maintain. There, too, it seems 

 likely, Owny Mac Pory and his bands made a desperate effort, but failed, 

 in attempting to crush the heads of English columns. Essex, however, 

 succeeded in beating back the Irish towards the upper grounds on the 

 left of the road leading towards the Pass of Cashel. After sustain- 

 ing considerable loss near the village, he cleared away the barriers. 

 To this part of the battle-field probably applies the account given by 

 Harrington, that " there was loste in tbe retreyte of the dexter winge 

 of the forlorne hope, capten Bos well and lieutenant Gardner, who 

 dyed with so much bravery and resolucion that yt must be confessed 

 by all who were witnesses of their deathes that their eies have not 

 seene more valiant gentlemen." Here, too, many of the English sol- 

 diers must have been slain, although Sir John Harrington makes light 

 of it in the following words : — " The small losse we susteyned in this 

 place was multiplied upon the rebell by our quarter and skoutmasters. 

 who accompanied with divers gentlemen made a good slaughter of 

 certeine rebells which assayed to force the quarter ; among these were 

 of especiall note, Alexander Donell, and Donnell Knaghy, a man of 

 base birth, but (for the proof e of his darynge and skill in their millitary 

 discipline) of especiall esteeme with Tyrone. In this conflict Edward 

 Bushell, gentleman, received a hurt in his brest with a pyke."f 



* See Essex's letter from Kilkenny, 20th May, 1599,inBourehier'sDevereux,ii.,28. 

 t See Dymock's " Treatice of Ireland," p. 33. — Irish Arch. Soe. Tracts, vol. ii. 



